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The Flame Challenge™

What is The Flame Challenge™?

When Alda was invited to contribute a guest editorial to the journal, Science, he wrote about why we need scientists to communicate clearly and vividly with the public. The Flame Challenge™ was born.

I’d like to try a playful experiment. Would you be willing to have a go at writing your own explanation of what a flame is — one that an 11-year-old would find intelligible, maybe even fun?

Starting in 2012, this international contest has challenged scientists at every level – from graduate students to senior researchers – to communicate familiar yet complex concepts in ways that are understandable to an 11-year-old. Written, graphic and video submissions then made their way to classrooms of fifth- and sixth-graders from all over the globe who reviewed them and decided the winners, one in each category.

Get Involved

The Flame Challenge™ is currently on haitus, taking time to incorporate feedback and research to evolve the competition into something that will better serve the needs of Scientitsts, Students, and Teachers. We are excited about where this evaluation will take us and invite you to sign up for email updates to stay informed of the opportunities as they come along.